AUDIT score for risky alcohol consumption cluster

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Health, Standard 28/04/2016

This data cluster is used to provide a score on the World Health Organization's Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) screening instrument. The data elements in this cluster relate to alcohol use in the last 12 months only. The AUDIT is a reliable and simple screening tool which is sensitive to the early detection of risky and high-risk (or hazardous and harmful) drinking.

Collection and usage attributes

The AUDIT score of risky alcohol consumption cluster comprises three data elements which record the frequency of alcohol consumption, the number of standard drinks consumed on a typical day when drinking and the frequency of consuming six or more standard drinks on one occasion.

The combination of codes for the three data elements: Person—alcohol consumption amount (self-reported), total standard drinks NN; Person—alcohol consumption frequency, AUDIT frequency alcohol consumption code N; and Person—consumption of 6 or more standard drinks on one occasion, AUDIT consuming 6 or more standard drinks code Nare used to provide a score on the AUDIT.

Responses to each question on the AUDIT are scored from 0 to 4, with a maximum possible score over the three questions being 12. A score of 6 or more on the AUDIT may indicate a risk of alcohol-related harm.

The formula for calculating a standard drink is:

Volume of container in litres x % alcohol by volume (ml/100ml) X 0.789*= The number of standard drinks. For example:

285ml full strength beer (4.9% alcohol)   1 standard drink

425ml light beer (2.9% alcohol)              1 standard drink

375ml stubby or can (4.9% alcohol)        1.4 standard drinks

425ml full strength beer (4.9% alcohol)    1.6 standard drinks

30 ml spirits (40% alcohol)                     1 standard drink

150ml wine (12% alcohol)                      1.5 standard drinks

* The specific gravity of ethyl alcohol is 0.789.

The AUDIT contains the following questions:

Over the last 12 months:

a)  How often did you have a drink containing alcohol?

0   Never
 
1   Monthly or less
 
2   2-4 times a month
 
3   2-3 times a week
 
4   4 or more times a week
 
b) How many standard drinks would you have on a typical day when you were drinking?

0   1 or 2
 
1   3 or 4
 
2   5 or 6
 
3   7 to 9
 
4   10 or more 
 
c) How often did you have six or more standard drinks on one occasion?

0   Never
 
1   Less than monthly
 
2   Monthly
 
3   Weekly
 
4   Daily or almost daily
 

If the person's response to '(a) How often did you have a drink containing alcohol' is Never, do not ask questions (b) and (c).

The person should only record one answer to each question.

Source and reference attributes

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Department of Health and Ageing 2009. The Australian Standard Drink. Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing.

Babor T, Higgins-Biddle JC, Saunders JB, Monteiro MG 2001. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Guidelines for Use in Primary Care. 2nd edn. Switzerland: World Health Organization.

Relational attributes